Democracy: The great equalizer?

Hossein Amirabdollahian will replace Javad Zarif as Iran's foreign minister. Zarif negotiated the Iran nuclear deal whereas Amirabdollahian is on an EU sanctions list for alleged human rights abuses.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is seeking a mandate for his policies in the October 31 parliamentary election. Meanwhile, the opposition has vowed to close Japan's income gap.

Hundreds of school children stormed the Democratic Republic of Congo's parliament on Thursday (October 21) amid a strike by school teachers over unresolved issues related to the roll-out of government's free primary education program. Teachers went on strike at the start of the school year on Oct. 4 over several issues including salaries, bonus pay and retirement age, according to the Congo Teachers Union.

Benin is one of the few countries on the African continent to legalise abortion for most circumstances. The law was passed on Wednesday night following a debate in Parliament, but still needs to be ratified by the constitutional court before it takes effect.

Poland's lower house of parliament will debate a law barring Pride parades on Thursday. The bill was put forward by a conservative anti-abortion rights group that gathered the necessary signatures.

Frances Haugen called on lawmakers in Brussels to seize the opportunity to create a "global gold standard" as they draft oversight regulation for tech giants.

In response to a surge in infections, the Bundestag has approved new legislation. Acting Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to meet state leaders to debate further action as the pandemic threatens to spiral out of control.

New German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has given his first formal government briefing to parliament since taking office last week, touching on issues ranging from the pandemic to climate change, and even some foreign policy.

At a European Parliament ceremony in Strasbourg, representatives of the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have accepted the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought on his behalf.

Somalia's women's rights activists have long been calling for increased female representation in the country's parliament.

A fire erupted at the South African parliament in Cape Town on Sunday, with media coverage showing flames coming from the roof of the building and a plume of smoke that could be seen from some miles away. It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was in the building. The fire was on the third storey of the building and initial reports indicated that it started in the office space and spread towards a gym, said Jean-Pierre Smith, a Cape Town mayoral committee member responsible for safety and security.

Fire reignites at South African Parliament a day and a half after flames first broke out. A man is due in court this week in connection to the devastating blaze. The Sudanese army's power has grown following the resignation of civilian transitional PM Hamdok over the weekend. Generals now have sole governing authority as fatal tensions continue to deepen. And Kenyan conservationist Richard Leakey dies aged 77, after spending a life defending his country's endangered wildlife.